July 10, 2017 — The Northeast United States longfin inshore squid fishery is on its way to becoming the first of its kind in the world to undergo a successful Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certification assessment, Lund’s Fisheries and The Town Dock announced on 7 July.

Lund’s, based out of of Cape May, New Jersey, and The Town Dock, based out of Point Judith, Rhode Island, have requested the assessment, which is being conducted by independent auditor SCS Global Services. Following a positive pre-assessment completed in January, the requesting companies decided to go ahead with submitting the longfin squid fishery, which dates back to the late 19th century, for MSC certification.

“Throughout our 37 years of business, our goal has always been to provide customers with a healthy and sustainable seafood product,” said Katie Almeida, fishery policy analyst at The Town Dock, which is the largest supplier of longfin squid in the United States. “By certifying longfin squid, we hope to take that promise of sustainability a step further, and to provide our customers with squid for many years to come.”

“For over 60 years, we have constantly strived to improve the quality and sustainability of our products to meet the high standards of our customers,” added Jeff Kaelin, government relations coordinator at Lund’s Fisheries. “Our effort to certify longfin and Illex squid as sustainable is another example of our commitment to producing the best, most responsibly sourced seafood possible for our customers.”

Northeast United States Longfin Inshore Squid Fishery Becomes the First Squid Fishery in the World to Undergo MSC Certification

June 29, 2017 — The following was released by Lund’s Fisheries and The Town Dock:

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced today that the U.S. Northeast longfin inshore squid fishery has entered a sustainability assessment for MSC certification. It is the first squid fishery in the world to undergo MSC certification.

The Town Dock of Point Judith, Rhode Island, and Lund’s Fisheries, Inc. of Cape May, New Jersey requested the sustainability assessment. It is being conducted by SCS Global Services, the first independent sustainability certifier to be MSC-accredited. A positive pre-assessment of the fishery was completed in January. The Town Dock and Lund’s Fisheries have also agreed to have the Illex (Illex illecebrosus) squid fishery assessed under the MSC standards as soon as possible.

The Longfin Inshore Squid Fishery

The longfin inshore squid (Doryteuthis pealeii) fishery dates back to the late 19th century, and the squid most often makes its way onto dinner plates across the country as calamari, served either fried or sautéed in salads. Longfin squid also serves as an important source of bait for many other high-profile fisheries.

The longfin squid fishery is concentrated in the Northeast, and the species is most abundant in the waters between Georges Bank, off the coast of Massachusetts, and Cape Hatteras, off the coast of North Carolina. The fishery is largely comprised of small-mesh bottom trawl boats, with mid-water trawls and pound nets comprising a much smaller portion of the catch.

Leading Squid Producers and Suppliers

The Town Dock, one of the companies requesting the assessment, is the largest supplier of longfin squid in the country.

“Throughout our 37 years of business, our goal has always been to provide customers with a healthy and sustainable seafood product,” said Katie Almeida, Fishery Policy Analyst at The Town Dock. “By certifying longfin squid, we hope to take that promise of sustainability a step further, and to provide our customers with squid for many years to come.”

Lund’s Fisheries, the other company requesting the assessment, is the only company that participates in all three U.S. squid fisheries on the east and west coasts, and sells its products worldwide. A family company in business since 1954, Lund’s is also one of the largest producers of Illex squid, and was instrumental in developing the Illex fishery with substantial investments made in shoreside processing. It is a member of the American Scallop Association, which has worked with MSC to certify U.S. Atlantic sea scallops.

“For over 60 years, we have constantly strived to improve the quality and sustainability of our products to meet the high standards of our customers,” said Jeff Kaelin, Government Relations coordinator at Lund’s Fisheries. “Our effort to certify longfin and Illex squid as sustainable is another example of our commitment to producing the best, most responsibly sourced seafood possible for our customers.”

Marine Stewardship Council’s Fisheries Standard

The MSC Fisheries Standard for sustainability was developed in deliberation with scientists, industry, and conservation groups, and reflects the best fisheries science and management practices. It is based on three principles that every certified fishery must meet: the health of the fish stock; the impact of fishing on the marine environment; and management of the fishery.

SCS Global Services, an accredited third-party conformity assessment body, is conducting the assessment. SCS will assemble a team of fishery science and policy experts to evaluate the fishery according to the three principles of the MSC Fisheries Standard. The process takes around 14 months and is open to fishery stakeholders. All results are peer reviewed and no decision will be made about the fishery’s sustainability until after the assessment is complete. Those interested in the longfin inshore squid fishery assessment can participate by contacting Jenn Humberstone at jhumberstone@scsglobalservices.com.

Future Illex Squid Assessment

The Town Dock and Lund’s Fisheries have also requested an MSC certification assessment for the Northwest Atlantic Illex fishery. Northwest Atlantic Illex, also known as northern shortfin squid, are a commercially important species that span the northern Atlantic Ocean, from eastern North America to Iceland and the United Kingdom.

About The Town Dock
For the last 35 years, The Town Dock has been a recognized leader in calamari (squid) products worldwide. With a waterfront location, multiple processing facilities, exceptional partnerships, and a company-owned fishing fleet, The Town Dock is the largest purchaser of US domestic East Coast squid. The company offers a full line of domestic and imported calamari products, and markets these products to customers in both the foodservice and retail segments.

About Lund’s Fisheries, Inc.Lund’s Fisheries, Inc. is a primary producer of fresh and frozen seafood located in Cape May, N.J. Lund’s purchases, produces and distributes nearly 75 million pounds of fresh and frozen fish annually. Its fresh and frozen domestic sales stretch from Maine to Texas while its frozen exports extend to markets around the world. Lund’s has about 30 fishing vessels delivering a variety of seafood to its facility year round. Lund’s is committed to developing and managing systems and practices to track seafood back to the harvest location to ensure it is sourced from fisheries that are well-managed, certified sustainable or actively working towards implementing more responsible and sustainable harvesting practices.

About the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC)
The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organization. Its vision is for the world’s oceans to be teeming with life, and seafood supplies safeguarded for this and future generations. The MSC certification program recognizes and rewards sustainable fishing practices and is helping create a more sustainable seafood market.

The blue MSC label on a seafood product means that:

It comes from a wild-catch fishery which has been independently certified to the MSC’s science based standard for environmentally sustainable fishing.

It’s fully traceable to a sustainable source.

More than 300 fisheries in over 35 countries are certified to the MSC’s Standard. These fisheries have a combined annual seafood production of almost 10 million metric tons, representing close to 12% of annual global marine harvest. More than 25,000 seafood products worldwide carry the blue MSC label.

About SCS Global ServicesSCS Global Services is a global leader in third-party quality, environmental and sustainability veriﬁcation, certiﬁcation, auditing, testing, and standards development. Its programs span a cross-section of industries, recognizing achievements in green building, product manufacturing, food and agriculture, forestry, power generation, retail, and more. In addition to its Emeryville, California, headquarters operation, SCS has affiliate offices in Latin America, Asia/Pacific, Europe and Africa. Its broad network of auditors are experts in their fields, and the company is a trusted partner to many environmental NGOs due to its dedication to quality and professionalism. SCS is a chartered beneﬁt corporation, reﬂecting its commitment to socially and environmentally responsible business practices.

April 24, 2017 — Maine and Massachusetts will host hearings about potential changes to the East Coast squid fishery.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council is hosting the hearings this week. It wants to reduce the number of latent permits for certain kinds of squid.

Longfin squid are fished from Maine to Virginia, with the majority of the catch coming ashore in Rhode Island. Regulators are concerned that the amount of participation in the fishery could become unsustainable if latent permits become active.

Longfin squid are the kind that are sold as calamari.

Maine’s hearing is slated for the Holiday Inn by the Bay in Portland on Tuesday. The Massachusetts hearing will take place at the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Annisquam River Marine Fisheries Station in Gloucester on Wednesday.

April 10, 2017 — An effort to gain better control over the amount of participation in the East Coast squid fishery will be the subject of a series of public hearings this spring.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council wants to reduce latent permits for certain kinds of squid. Most years, a few vessels are responsible for bringing the majority of the commercially harvested squid to shore.

The fishery council says it’s concerned that excessive squid fishing could occur if latent permits become active.

Longfin squid fishing’s a major industry, with more than 26 million pounds coming to shore in 2015. It was valued at more than $31 million. Rhode Island’s the biggest producer.

April 4, 2017 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold nine public hearings in April and May 2017 to solicit public input on the Squid Amendment to the Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fishery Management Plan. The Council is also soliciting written comments on the amendment through 11:59 pm on May 18, 2017.

The amendment considers measures to reduce latent longfin and Illex squid permits. Currently, a relatively small portion of vessels with limited access (“moratorium”) squid permits account for the majority of landings in most years. The Council is concerned that activation of latent permits in the squid fisheries could lead to excessive fishing effort, potentially resulting in shortened seasons and increased catch of non-target species.

The amendment also considers measures to modify the management of longfin squid during Trimester 2 (May-August). The Council is considering this action because there is concern that the productivity of the longfin squid stock may be negatively impacted if excessive fishing in Trimester 2 does not allow sufficient spawning and/or successful egg hatching from egg mops.

March 24, 2017 — It was the best single run of longfin squid anyone on the East Coast had ever seen – and it happened fast and was over fast. In two months last summer, June and July, the East Coast-based squid fleet landed approximately 14 million pounds, with Rhode Island landing more than 50 percent of that quota, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration landing reports.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. The squid just kept coming,” said Point Judith fisherman Jeff Wise of Narragansett. “I’ve never seen volume and catch rates that high before.”

For those two summer months, the fishing port of Point Judith, or Galilee, was the squid capital of the world, the hub of squid commerce. Shore-side activity went nonstop as processors and others tried to keep pace with the volume of squid the fishing vessels carried in from the sea. Approximately 118 vessels, according to state landing reports, from as far south as Wanchese, N.C., used Rhode Island ports to offload their catch.

Although June and July are traditionally peak squid months, with average summer landings (May through August) fluctuating between 3 million and 19 million pounds, it was the high catch rates for those two months that was unprecedented last summer, which for the season saw 18.7 million pounds of landings.

“Though we’ve been seeing an upward trend in [longfin] squid since 2010, [last year was] one of the strongest we’ve seen since the 1990s,” said Jason Didden, squid-management-plan coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council, the agency, along with the National Marine Fisheries Service, responsible for squid policy.

Local fishermen, many of whom depend heavily on squid, enjoyed the bounty but are warily focused on regulatory issues they fear could bring the good times to a premature end.

Landings the past 30 years have shown peaks and valleys, as levels of squid abundance have changed – but there has been no need for quota cuts.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council often works with advisory panels to identify problems within fisheries and to come up with solutions to those problems. It’s a long road, complex and full of red tape, to go from an identified fishery problem to an actual change in the policy. These advisory panels are composed of industry members, recreational anglers, environmentalists and academics.

Three policy issues surfaced in recent months that could affect Rhode Island squid vessels and processors. One concerns managing the number of squid permits allowed, an issue perennially raised by the commercial fishing industry. The other two concern the possible loss of fishing ground – one by proposed wind farms off Long Island, and the other from lobbying pressure for a buffer zone in a key squid area south of Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.

The buffer-zone issue was raised by a group of recreational fishermen from Nantucket.

“It’s hard to be optimistic right now,” said Wise. “It never seems to stop – we are constantly worried about losing fishing ground [due to] buffer zones, marine sanctuaries and wind farms.”

December 30, 2016 — Could sea scallops and longfin squid be reason enough to stop an offshore wind farm on the coast of New York and New Jersey?

The Fisheries Survival Fund, which represents the majority of the U.S. Atlantic scallop industry, claims the site picked for the farm is on documented fishing grounds for both commercially important species. It claims the wind turbines would shut fishermen out.

The group is the lead plaintiff in a federal lawsuit filed against the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and Sally Jewell, the secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. The BOEM has jurisdiction over the sea floor.

Other plaintiffs include the Garden State Seafood Association, the Fishermen’s Dock Co-Operative in Point Pleasant Beach and the Borough of Barnegat Light.

“We’re looking to stop the construction in it’s proposed location. If they want to build it somewhere else, that’s fine,” said Andrew E. Minkiewicz, attorney for the group.

Last year, the co-op handled close to $15 million worth of seafood, of which roughly two-thirds were scallops, according to the lawsuit.

April 21, 2016 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

During a meeting last week in Montauk, New York the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved a framework action to modify the boundary of one of the region’s two Scup Gear Restricted Areas (GRAs). The proposed change to the Southern Scup GRA boundary is expected to increase the availability of longfin squid to small-mesh fisheries.

The GRAs were implemented in 2000 and are intended to reduce discard mortality of juvenile scup. The current GRA regulations include a Northern GRA, which is effective from November 1 through December 31, and a Southern GRA, which is effective from January 1 through March 15. Trawl vessels which fish for or possess longfin squid, black sea bass, or silver hake (also known as whiting) are required to use mesh 5 inches or larger in the GRAs during those times of the year. The scup stock has expanded substantially since the GRAs were first implemented, and analysis conducted by scientists at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center indicate that the GRAs were partially responsible for this rebuilding.

The GRAs have been modified several times in response to requests from commercial fishermen. In recent years, advisors have recommended further modification of the GRAs to restore access to certain areas for longfin squid fishing, arguing that modifications to the GRA boundaries would not harm the scup stock

In response to an industry request, the Council initiated a framework action in 2014 to address potential changes to the scup GRAs. The framework considered a range of alternatives, including modifications to the GRA boundaries and elimination of one or both GRAs.

After a lengthy discussion of the impacts of the proposed alternatives, the Council voted to modify the boundary of the Southern Scup GRA. The proposed change, shown in Figure 1, is based on a proposal developed by members of the Council’s Summer Flounder, Scup, and Black Sea Bass Advisory Panel.

“By increasing access to important fishing grounds, the Council balanced the concerns of the squid industry with the possible impacts on the scup stock,” said the Council’s Executive Director, Chris Moore. “If the modification is approved by NMFS, the Council will be working closely with NMFS to monitor scup discards to make sure that mortality of juvenile scup does not increase as a result.”

Due to a change in one of the two observer programs (Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology or SBRM) that apply to the Longfin Squid Fishery, the observer waivers you receive through the Pre-Trip Notification System will no longer apply to SBRM observers when this change goes through.

The new waivers will say:

“You have been waived of observer requirements for [VESSEL NAME] departing [SAIL DATE and TIME], confirmation # [NUMBER] for your longfin squid trip notification through PTNS. However, you may be asked to take an observer through a selection notice or verbally by an approved observer service provider. If selected, you must carry an observer.”

The system will operate as usual after this change, but be aware that any waiver you get will only apply to observers from the butterfish mortality cap monitoring program. You may still be asked, either verbally or by a letter, to take an SBRM observer on a trip.